I occasionally fish a deep slow river where every swim seems to have the right features for pike - slow moving current, drop offs into deep water, lots of willows, snags etc.
Yet after fishing the place for a few years, it's clear to me that many good looking "pike" swims rarely if ever produce pike. I regularly fish them in the hope that one day they'll produce. I'll spend 10 minutes chucking a lure in the swim or 30 minutes with float fished deadbaits, but I admit my heart's not in it - I know for some reason the pike don't rate the swims as much as I do.
Of course there are other swims on the river which are fairly reliable
Has anybody any ideas why apparent pikey looking areas can be barren of pike?
Yet after fishing the place for a few years, it's clear to me that many good looking "pike" swims rarely if ever produce pike. I regularly fish them in the hope that one day they'll produce. I'll spend 10 minutes chucking a lure in the swim or 30 minutes with float fished deadbaits, but I admit my heart's not in it - I know for some reason the pike don't rate the swims as much as I do.
Of course there are other swims on the river which are fairly reliable
Has anybody any ideas why apparent pikey looking areas can be barren of pike?